From the Prado to Gaudí's Park Güell: Madrid and Barcelona are two of Spain's most popular city-break destinations. As it happens, they're also the cities with the best-known Zonas de Bajas Emisiones (ZBE). Spain now counts around 150 municipalities with a ZBE, mandatory since 1 January 2026 for every municipality with more than 50,000 residents. With a valid emission sticker on your windscreen, you can drive straight through without a second thought.
From Madrid's museums to Gaudí's Barcelona, these are general highlights of each city that happen to also sit in or right next to a Spanish ZBE.
One of the most important art museums in the world, with masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya and Hieronymus Bosch. The museum sits right in the middle of Madrid's ZBE, within walking distance of Retiro Park.
Travel tip: free admission Monday to Saturday from 18:00–20:00 and on Sundays/public holidays from 17:00–19:00. Arrive 20–30 minutes early, as it's already busier by then.
Spain's official royal palace, with over 3,000 rooms one of the largest palaces in Europe, though today it's mainly used for ceremonies. Nearby are the free-to-enter gardens of Campo del Moro.
Travel tip: free admission for EU citizens Monday to Thursday between 16:00–18:00 (winter) or 18:00–20:00 (summer). Reachable by metro line 2 or 5, Ópera stop.
The green heart of Madrid, with a rose garden, a rowing lake and the Palacio de Cristal — a nineteenth-century glass pavilion that reflects beautifully in the water in front of it — all within walking distance of each other.
Travel tip: the park and pavilion are free to enter; arrive early in the morning for the quietest photos of the Palacio de Cristal.
Antoni Gaudí's still-unfinished basilica, under construction since 1882 and one of Spain's best-known sights. 2026 marks the hundredth anniversary of Gaudí's death, which is drawing extra crowds.
Travel tip: buy your tickets well in advance online. Thanks to the Gaudí anniversary year, time slots are regularly sold out days ahead.
Gaudí's colourful, mosaic-decorated city park, home to the famous serpentine bench and the "salamander" at the entrance, with a panoramic view over Barcelona and the sea.
Travel tip: an online ticket with a time slot is required for the paid Zona Monumental (max. 1,400 visitors per hour). Book at least 1–2 weeks ahead on weekends or during high season.
Photos · Wikimedia Commons
Museo del Prado: Fernando Bueno · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Palacio Real: Carlos Delgado · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Parque del Retiro: Jose Luis Cernadas Iglesias · CC BY 2.0 · Sagrada Família: Matti Blume · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Park Güell: Oh-Barcelona.com · CC BY-SA 3.0
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